Electric time switch for automobile lights



April 12, 1927.

A. L. N.'CREMO ET AL ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILE L I GETS FiledApril 1925 Patented Apr. 12, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARISTIDE L. N. CREMO AND ALBERT J. GORDON, OF ATTLEBOBO, MASSACHUSETTS,AS- SIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO JOSEPH E. GAYNQR, OF ATILEBORO,MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC TIME SWITCH FOR AUTOMOBILE LIGHTS.

Application filed April 6, 1925. Serial No. 21,094.

The present invention appertains to an electric time switch forautoi'nobile lights, and has for its principal object to provide meanswhich can be set, and depended upon to display a light at thepredetermined time, said means being automatically operable when set oradapted to be manually act-initial at any time to admit of the lightbeing displayed. This invention is of in'iportance since, at the presenttime, in the operation of motor vehicles it frequently happens that thesame are .left unattended for a period. extending past niglitfall,thereby subjecting the owner or operator to a penalty for fail ure todisplay a light which is ui'iiversally required by traflic regulations,and further more an operator of a motor vehicle often forgets to displayhis lights as nightfall approaches.

Another important object of the invention is to provide an electric timeswitch of this nature, which is easily adjustable so that the lightswill be displayed at the desired time, and one which is exceedinglysimple in its construction, easy to install as part of the light circuitof an automobile, efficient and reliable in its operation, not liable toeasily become out of order, and otherwise well adapted to the purposefor which it is de signed.

Another specific object of the invention is to provide a circuit closingkey which will be eflicient in preventing theft of the automobile.

lVith the above and numerous other ob jects in view as will appe r asthe description proceeds, the invention resides in certain novelfeatures of construction, and in the combination and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawing Figure l is a front elevation, of the device embodyingthe features of my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary section taken therethrough.

Figure 3 is another fragmentary section taken tlierethrough.

Figure 4; is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring incident to theinvention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that 5 designates acasing mounted on a plate 6 so that it may be attached to the dash boardof an automobile, 01' in some other suitable and convenient position.

The front wall or panel 7 of the casing 5 provided with an arcuate slot8 having hours,

thereon by suitable indicia 9.

and fraction of an hour indicated A shaft 10 is rotated by the hour handshaft of a clock mechanism of any suitable nature.

On this shaft 10 there is mounted agear 11 which meshes with a gear 12rotatable on the shaft 13. A hub l l is rotatable on the shaft 13, andspring 15 is disposed about the hub for impinging against the collar 16thereof and a nut 17 so that the collar 16 will be held in frictionalengagement with the gear 12 and be normally rotated thereby.

indicator 18 projects from the collar 16 and is bent to extend throughthe slot 8 and terminates in a pointer 19 for cooperating with theindicia 9. I disposed between the collar 16 and gear 12.

An insulating washer 20 is A wire 21 is connected to the indi ator 18and a terminals 23.

wire 22 is .-onnected to the contact If, by way of example, the

lights 2%. should be turned on within four and one half hours, the handor indicator 18 would be set at four and one half on the indicia 9, andthus it will be seen that after this amount of time transpires, thepoint 19 of the indicator will contact with the termin al 23, therebyclosing a circuit as will be evident from an inspection of Figure 4. Theclock mechanism willcontinue to rotate, and the gear 12 will alsocontinue to rotate, but it will merely slip in relation to theindicator, and have no further efi'ect there- Itwill be seen that theindicator may at any time be manually moved so as to engage the fixedcontacts 23.

A slot 25 is provided in the panel 7.

shock.

Thus when the operator is about to leave the car he may )ull out thiskey :28 and it will not be possible for unauthorized persons to startthe car. This key, of course, is supplemental to the ordinary ignitionlock key.

It is thought that the construction, operation, and advantages of thisinvention will now be clearly understood without a more detaileddescription thereof.

The invention provides a comparatively simple mechanisn'i which ispositive in operation, and which may be set and depended upon to operateat the predeterminet time so that a motor vehicle may be leftunitttclitlfitl, and that at the required time will be provided with thelights without any special care on the part of the owner or operator,other than to properly set the circuit closer when the machine is leftunattended. it will further be apparent that the present embodiment ofthe invention has been given merely by way of example in order todisclose means whereby the advantages of the invention may be attained.It is to be understood, that numerous changes in the details ofconstruction, in the materials, in the sizes and the proportions, and inthe combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is In a deviceof the class described, a casing, a front panel for the casing, saidfront panel being provided with an arcuate slot having one end slightlyoffset, a fixed contact at said offset end, of the slot, a shaft mountedfor rotation in the casing, a gear rotatable on the shaft, an insulatingwasher on the shaft next to the gear, an indicator having a hub portionrotatable on the shaft, a spring associated with the hub portion holdingit in frictional engagement with the washer and the washer in frictionalengagement with the gear, a time controlled mechanism gear meshing withthe first mentioned gear, said indicator being bent intermediate itsends so that its free extremity is offset, the intermediate bent portionextending through the slot, so that when the indicator is actuated tosaid end of the slot, it will en ga e the fixed contact for closing acircuit.

in testimony whereof We our signatures.

ARISTIDE L. N. GREMO. ALBERT J GORDON.

